Rotary troweling machine



R. G. BARNES ROTARY TROWELING MACHINE Jan. 20, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 18, 1955 INVENTOR. ,RALPH 6- BARNES BY Jan. 20, 1959 Filed July 18, 1955 R. G. BARNES ROTARY TROWELING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 43 t I 47/56 45 "Em:

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Ill as 55 Z4 59 z5 s4 INVENTOR. RALPH G- BARNES FM M ROTARY rnownrmo MACHINE Ralph G. Barnes, Davenport, Iowa, assignor to Master glhrator Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Application July 18, 1955, Serial No. 522,772

7 Claims. .(CI. 94-45) This invention relates to surfacing tools, and more particularly to a rotary power driven apparatus having progressive circular Wiping engagement over the surface upon which it operates. For illustrative purposes the invention is herein shown and described as embodied in a concrete troweling machine or float for finishing concrete surfaces, but the invention is not limited to this embodiment. By substitution of suitable work engaging elements, the present rotary power driven apparatus may be utilized for cleaning or scrubbing operations, and for abrading, waxing or polishing operations and the like.

The concrete finishing embodiment of the rotary power driven apparatus forming the subject matter of this invention involves the fuse of sweep blades which travel in a circular path over the surface of the work as the tool is moved about on such surface.

' The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well as the means and mode of operation of motion transmitting mechanisms, whereby such mechanisms may not only be economically manufactured, but will be more efficient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety of uses, having relatively few parts and be unlikely to get out of repair.

I It is a further object of the invention to enable the sweep blades to be more easily adjusted in order to better perform floating, finishing and intermediate operations.

'Another object of the invention is to provide for posi tive multi-position adjustment of the sweep blades by means readily accessible to the hand of the operator.

A further object of the invention is to embody the adjustment mechanism in a mounting boss assembly which is in concentric, telescoping relation to the rotary drive shaft in such manner as to facilitate the adjustment operation and to provide for a more compact arrangement of the sweep blades.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mounting for the sweep blades in which the main supporting arms thereof are disposed in planes tangential to a circle concentric with the main drive shaft so as to achieve an improved sweeping action.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a reduction in the outside diameter of the circular path traversed by the .sweep blades, without a corresponding reduction in area covered thereby. Y Y

A further object of the invention is to provide a motion vtransmitting mechanism possessing the advantageous structural features, the inherent meritorious character- -istics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

-With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein is PIC found one but obviously not necessarily the only form in plan the arrangement of the sweep blade devices with reference to the rotary drive shaft;

Fig. 4 is a view in longitudinal section through the mounting boss assembly in which the blade adjusting mechanism is comprised;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the mounting boss assembly of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view in perspective of a cam bushing comprised in the blade adjustment mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary schematic view showing the cam bushing detail. I

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, a concrete troweling machine in accordance with the instant invention comprises a power source 10 with its attendant devices, the whole being supported on a casting 11.- The casting 11 is bolted in overlying superposed relation to a gear box 12 from the bottom of which extends a rotary drive shaft 13. The machine is supported in the generally upright position illustrated in Fig. 1, with the shaft 13 in a plane substantially normal to the surface of the work.

The tool is moved about over the surface of the Work by a handle 14 pivotally connected to the gear box 12. As indicated in Fig. 2, the handle 14 is held in alternative positions by a latch 15 pivotally attached to the casting 11. The rotary drive shaft 13 carries near its outer or lower end a mounting boss assembly 16. The assembly 16 carries sweep blade assemblies 17 upon which the machine rests on the surface of the work and which are driven, as will be described, in a rotary direction about the shaft 13 for progressive wiping engagement with the surface of the work.

The power source 10 is effective to rotate a shaft 18 which is connected by pulleys 19 and 21 and a belt 22 with another shaft 23 extending into the gear box 12. It will be understood that, in the conventional manner of devices of the present class, the power source 10 is effective to rotate the shaft 18, and that the motion of the shaft 18 is transmitted through the elements 19-23 and the elements of the gear box 12, to the rotary shaft 13, causing this shaft to rotate in correspondence with the shaft 18.

Referring to Fig. 4, the outer or lower end of the shaft 13 is reduced in diameter and screw threaded for driving engagement with a correspondingly threaded opening 24 in a base plate 25. In its peripheral area, the base plate 25 is formed with a series (in the present instance 3) of bearing members 26 each having a longitudinal bore 27 therethrough, the several bores 27 lying in planes tangential to a common circle concentric with the shaft 13. Each bearing member 26 is, moreover, intersected near its mid point by a slot 28 radial to the shaft 13. The bores 27 of the members 26 receive the shaft-like ends of the blade mounting arms 29. Such ends project through and beyond the bores 27 and have nuts 31 screwed thereon to hold the blade mounting arms in an installed position relatively to the bearing members 26. By loosening and removing the nuts 31, the arms 29 may of course be withdrawn from the bearing members 26, the disclosed arrangement providing for quick and easy replacement of the sweep blade assemblies. The arms 29 proper are connected, as through a channel member 32, to respecthe: swept: back: appearance illustrated or they may be other wise formed.

Installed in each of the slots 28, and releasably secured to the portion of the respective arm 29 therein, is a lever 34-having a-finger portion extending substantially axially inward toward the shaft 13. The finger. portions of thelevers 34 enter, or are interengaged with, a circumferential groove 35in a sleeve 36 in concentric surrounding relation to the shaft 13.

The sleeve 36 has a bore 37 in spaced relation to the shaft 13 and a counterbore 38 which receives and interfits with a land 39 on the base plate 25 to thereby locate and hold the sleeve 36 in concentric position with respect to the shaft 13.

A bushing 41 has a sliding fit on the shaft 13 and in the bore 37. Anenlarge'd portion 42of the bushing 41 is received in and abuts the bottom of the counterbore 38 in sleeve 36 at itsone end, the opposite end of such flanged portion resting or substantially. resting on the land 39. The bushing proper extends through and beyond the bore 37 and has a radial opening 43 in its up wardly projecting end. A pin 44 is pressed by a spring 45 to a seat in the opening 43, the pin 44 and spring 45 being carried by a handle 46. The handle 46 has an elongated opening 4'! therein, the handle resting on the upper end of the sleeve 36 with the opening 47 in embracing relation to the shaft 13'and bushing 41 thereon. The pin 44 projects into the opening 47 at one end thereof. in substantially diametric relation to the pin 44, the handle 46 rigidly mounts another pin or stud 48 selectively engageable in a. peripheral series of holes 49 in the surface of the sleeve 36. it will be understood that by pulling on the handle 46 the stud 48 may be released from' one hole 49 and the handle then rotated to locate the stud 48 with respect to another selected hole 49. When the handle is released, the spring 45 in conjunction with plunger 44 assists in causing the stud 48 to enter the selected hole 49 and subsequently provides a force for maintaining the handle 46 in such adjusted position.

Rotary movement of the handle 46, as described, is effective through the pin 44 to turn the bushing 41 about its longitudinal axis a distance and in a direction corresponding to the movement of the handle. At its inner or lower end the bushing 41 is formed with .three inclined cam faces 51 separated by' equi-distant lugs 52. Each face 51 is engaged by a pin 53 set in the land 39 of the base plate 25. In response to relative rotation of the cam bushing 41, the faces 51 ride up or down upon the pins 53 resulting in a raising or lowering of the bushing 41 relatively to the shaft 13 and cam plate 25. The lugs 52 represent limit stops defining minimum and maximum elevated positions for the bushing 41.

The sleeve 36 is in effect keyed to the base plate 25 by a stud 54 which is installed in the base plate 25 and received in a. slot 55 in the bottom of the sleeve 36.

The mounting boss assembly is thus normally connected to the shaft 13 for rotation therewith, but includes parts movable relatively to the shaft 13 for the purpose of angularly adjusting the sweep blades 33 through a rotary positioning of the blade mounting arms 29. Such rotary adjustment of the arms 29 is directly accomplished by the levers 34 which engage the slot or groove 35 in the sleeve 36. The sleeve 36 is movable axially of shaft 13 to cause a rocking motion of the levers 34 and arms 29, as a function of similar motion imparted to the bushing 41. The bushing 41, as noted is movable in a rotative sense relatively to the shaft 31 and base plate 25 by the handle 46 which is adjustable to a number of positoins (in the present instance four) each corresponding to a predetermined angular setting of the troweling blades 33. Cooperating cam portions on the bushing 41 and base plate 25, represented by cam surfaces 51 on the bushing and pins 53 set in the plate 25, are effective in one direction of rotation of the bushing to elevate the bushing and thereby the sleeve 36. Similarly, the cooperating elements described are effective in the opposite direction of rotation of the bushing 41 to allow the bushing and thereby the sleeve 36 to descend in an axial sense relative to the shaft 13.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been describedin language more or less specific as to structural features, it' is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A troweling or like machine, including a rotary drive shaft, a base plate mounted on saidshaft and rotatably driven thereby, bearing mounts on said plate in planes tangential to a circle concentric with saidshaft, blade carrying arms supported in said mounts and ad justable in a rotative sense therein, actuating fingers; on said arms extending radially inward toward saidshaft,

a sleeve in concentric relation to said shaft and havinga circumferential groove receiving said fingers, a bushing member in concentric relation to said shaft and seated on said base plate, said member being in l pPQrting relation to said sleeve, cooperating cam means respectively connected to said base plate and said bushing mem-v ber interengaging for resolving a relative rotary motion of said member into a relative longitudinal motion there; of, and means connected to said bushing member for relatively turning said bushing member as described.

2. A troweling or like machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said last named means includes an actuating lever attached at its one end to said bushing member and extending radially therefrom for manipulation by the hand of the operator.

3. A. troweling or like machine, including a rotary drive shaft, a base plate mounted on said shaft and rotatably driven thereby, bearing mounts on said plate in planes tangential to a circle concentric with said shaft, blade carrying arms supported in said mounts and, ad;- justable in a rotative sense therein, actuating fingers on said arms extending radially inward toward said shaft, a sleeve in concentric relation to said shaft and interengaged with said fingers, a cam member interposed be-v tween said base plate and said sleeve and respectively engaging therewith, and effective when turned rotatively to move said sleeve longitudinally of said shaft, means for turning said cam member rotatively, and means connected to said cam member interengageable with said sleeve at selected positions for retaining said cam mem ber in set rotative positions of adjustment.

4. A troweling or like machine, including a rotary drive shaft, a'base plate mounted on said shaft in a plane, normal to the shaft and rotatable therewith, a bushing member slidably and rotatably mounted on said shaft, cooperating means on said base plate and said bushing member interengaging for resolving a rotary motion of said member into a longitudinal movement thereof, a sleeve supported on and longitudinally movable with said bushing member having means connected to prevent rotation thereof relative said shaft, a manually operable lever connected to said bushing member for rotation thereof, means on said lever and said sleeve interengageable to hold said bushing member in selected set positions of rotative adjustment relative said shaft, and

blade carrying arms adjustably mounted on said base plate and connected to said sleeve for adjustment thereof by longitudinal motion of said sleeve.

5. A troweling or like machine according to claim 4, characterized in that said sleeve is formed with a circumferential groove, said arms having fingers received in said groove providing the connection thereof to said sleeve.

6. A troweling or like machine, including a rotary drive shaft, a base plate mounted on said shaft and rotatably driven thereby, bearing mounts on said plate, blade carrying arms supported in said mounts and ad justable in a rotative sense therein, actuating fingers on said arms, a sleeve in concentric relation to said shaft fixed against rotation relative thereto and operatively connected to said fingers and adapted when moved in a longitudinal sense along said shaft to rock said fingers, a bushing member in concentric relation to said shaft and seated on said base plate, said member being in supporting relation to said sleeve, interengaging cam portions on said base plate and said bushing member for resolving a relative rotary motion of said member into a relative longitudinal motion thereof whereby similarly to move said sleeve, an actuating lever connected to said bushing disposed in a plane approximately at right angles to said shaft and having an elongated slot therein through which said shaft passes and which receives said bushing with freedom of relative lateral motion, interengaging portions on said lever and on said sleeve for latching said lever against rotary motion relative to said sleeve, said portions being releasable by a relative lateral motion of said lever, and a connection between said base plate and said sleeve establishing a rotary driving connection therebetween.

7. A troweling or like machine according to claim 6, characterized in that said latching portions include latch means on said lever and an arcuate series of latching portions on said sleeve selectively engageable thereby on relative rotary motion of said lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 504,330 Coldwell Sept. 5, 1893 2,198,929 Whitcman Apr. 30, 1940 2,351,278 Mathews June 13, 1944 2,394,274 Troxell Feb. 5, 1946 2,658,597 Jepson Nov. 10, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,092,463 France Nov. 10, 1954 

